New Home Owners – Do Not Skip the Inspection!

Everyone has their “go to” people, and a key one in my business is Jim Scott of Scott Home Inspections. Like a well organized, knowledgeable resource, Jim sends occasional emails and posts that are helpful to me and my clients. This one popped in my emailbox this morning. To be honest, Jim and I have argued about whether a new home owner should get an inspection upon moving in. I tend to think having one before the warranty runs out is sufficient. Regardless, you need a home inspection….either upon purchase or before the warranty and builder run out!

Here’s what Jim has to say:
I thought this would be a good time to remind you of the importance of getting an inspection on new construction. Quite often the lender may not require one, but it is always in the clients best interest to to invest in one. Buyers may not understand that although the residence is brand new, there may be defects which can become costly repairs in the future. After all, the builder and their team of sub-contractors are human and errors can occur.

Most builders offer home warranties, these can range from twelve months to ten years and are generally system specific. For example, a roof may have a ten year warranty/guarantee, but a retaining wall may only have a year of coverage. Without an inspection being performed prior to the warranty/guarantee expiring, the homeowner may be left with no recourse for repairs.

Recently we provided an inspection for a client at eleven months post purchase, in order to be certain the home still met standards and had not developed damage since the buyer took possession. This was a very good call, as the retaining wall behind and uphill from the home had not been properly set and water was causing erosion of the soil. Water was running downhill into our clients crawl space as well as along the side yard, washing soil and bark into the street. The potential for damage to the foundation was very real, in fact a section had settled and caused a wall to become uneven. This could be an excessively costly repair down the road had the defect gone unnoticed.

We offer discounted rates for re-inspections in most of these situations, please contact Jim at 253-334-7268 or use our contact us button at www.Scott1Inspection.com for more information.